


A Tyler Family Christmas

by LizAnn_5869



Series: Christmas Sweets [8]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: EVERYTHING GOES WRONG, F/M, Family, Family disagreements, Gen, Rose tries to keep the peace, jackie is ticked at the Doctor, sonic screwdriver mishaps, tree lighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 04:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13115913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizAnn_5869/pseuds/LizAnn_5869
Summary: Jackie is infuriated with the Doctor, who has caused a minor calamity with his sonic screwdriver.  How will he get back in her good graces? How does a huge Christmas tree figure in?  And will Pete and Rose have to intervene?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blueboxesandtrafficcones](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueboxesandtrafficcones/gifts).



> This is for @blueboxesandtrafficcones Secret Santa! I hope you like it! This is Tentoo and Rose on their first Christmas in Pete’s World.  
> The first few paragraphs come from a drabble I wrote, called “Complications.” I decided that this fic was a continuation of that drabble when I realized the Doctor would be saving the day at a tree lighting ceremony, and that Jackie would be angry with him for most of the fic. “Complications” seemed to me to be the reason why.  
> This also fulfills TPP’s Often Overlooked Bingo squares: charity and everything goes wrong, and ugly jumpers. It also fulfills “baking mishaps” and 31 Days Of Ficmas’ “holiday baking” prompts. Whew. I think I got it all! Enjoy, BBaTC! I’ve been dying to tell you I’m your Santa!

_The Doctor had promised Rose a big surprise when she returned home from Torchwood._

_Rose was definitely surprised as she passed a fire truck leaving the property, which was cloaked in darkness._

_She dashed from her car to where Jackie and the Doctor were staring at the burned remains of Jackie’s side yard garden._

_“What….”_

_Jackie growled, “Himself hung fairy lights from everything and then decided they weren't impressive enough. Early Christmas celebration he says. So he aimed that buzzy glow thing….”_

_The Doctor hissed, “The sonic screwdriver, at least use the correct terminology!”_

_Jackie gestured expansively around the darkened yard. “And boom!”_

_The Doctor looked sheepishly at Rose and admitted, “There were complications.”_

*****

The Great Christmas Topiary Burning as the Doctor called it, (not to Jackie’s face, of course, since that would have made things even more awkward than they already they were) had resulted in a week of dark looks and silence from Jackie. The silence was almost a relief.

Rose and Pete weren’t spared, however. They were subjected to countless rants from Jackie, and Rose put up with her being quite rude to the man she loved. Jackie’s attitude was straining their relationship terribly.

Pete had forgiven the Doctor rather quickly mainly due to being fascinated by the sonic. He understood that the Doctor was sorry for the wrecked garden, and since it hadn’t hurt anyone, he was more willing to let it go and call the landscapers.

Jackie, on the other hand, couldn’t forgive the Doctor. “We can’t ‘ave anything nice around here with him! The toaster is ruined, and don’t get me started on the dishwasher. I don’t care if he’s bored and needs to tinker...Now our yard is ruined. Either have Torchwood confiscate that damn glow stick….”

“That’s not happening,” Pete had informed her.

“Or keep him away from me before I slap the hell out of him,” Jackie had countered. It had been quite a while since Rose had seen her mother that properly furious, and she didn’t doubt that Jackie would follow through.

Rose and Pete decided that it was best to keep the two of them apart until Jackie cooled off. Unfortunately she didn’t seem to be ready to let anything go any time soon. Christmas was destined to be awkward at best, with a good chance of miserable at worst.

Rose could see how much it hurt the Doctor to be rejected by Jackie, even though he pretended it didn’t bother him. Jackie mostly ignored him, which saved him arguing with her. It hurt, though, even if the Doctor wouldn’t admit it.

****

He stayed in their little cottage on the Tyler estate while Rose went to the mansion for pizza and games night, and the sadness in his eyes broke her heart. Rose had left the family festivities early. “M’ not leavin’ him alone, Mum. You should’ve seen how gutted he looked. The pair of you need to work this out. He’s willin’ to apologize, and you’re bein’ a stubborn mule. Christmas is comin’ soon and I won’t leave him alone for Christmas mornin’ because you’re bein’ a cow!”

Jackie’s jaw had dropped at Rose’s insult. “You just mind your tongue, Rose Marion. You may be the bloody defender of Earth, but I’m still your mum!” Rose looked away, chastened. Jackie continued her rant. “He could’ve burned the house down! Thank God it was just the yard! He’s a menace and I have every right to be angry!”

“The house is safe and the yard can be fixed,” Pete had reminded her.

“He’s. A. Bleedin’. Menace,” Jackie had repeated.

“M’sorry I called you a cow. But, Mum, he’s heartbroken. You’re his family too. But fine. I get it. Just know that I’ll be with him,” Rose sighed. She snagged her coat off the back of the sofa and walked away. Pete moved to intercept her and Rose shook her head sadly.

“Hope to see the pair of you soon,” Pete murmured, giving Jackie a pointed look.

Jackie turned away and stalked into the kitchen, leave Pete alone to figure out what to do. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Help me figure this out, the text from Rose said.

*****  
“What do you think of travelin’ to Barcelona for Christmas?” Rose asked the Doctor as they snuggled in bed. He hadn’t asked what Jackie had said when Rose returned, dejected. He merely took her hand and kissed her and they spent the rest of the evening in each other’s embrace.

Knowing that the planet Barcelona was beyond their capabilities at the moment, the Doctor sighed. “Haven’t seen this world’s Barcelona yet. Are you sure you want to get away from here? What about your family?”

She smiled and cupped his cheek gently, loving the feel of his bristly whiskers under her palm. He was scruffy more often than not now, and she loved it. “You’re my family, Doctor. I’ll be happy wherever you are.”

He kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Love, but what about Tony? You’ll miss him.”

“We can open presents together any time,” she assured him.

“I’m taking you away from your family again, just like I always do.” He began to roll away from her and she stopped him, wrapping him more tightly in her embrace.

“Not gonna let you pull away from me out of guilt, because you think you’re keeping me from them. So you can just stop that right now,” Rose told him. Her tone broached no argument and the Doctor was once again left in awe of the strong will of the Tyler women. “You are part of this family. Mum will come around, eventually. I’m not saying we won’t celebrate Christmas with them at some point, when Mum starts being reasonable again.”

“She has a point. I am a menace. I’ve destroyed several of her appliances and set her yard on fire. Don’t forget about that time I nearly lost Tony at the shop. M’ sure your Mum didn’t expect taking me on full time would be quite as adventurous.”

“I think she had an idea,” Rose reassured him. “Mum is just upset right now. She’ll get over it, with time. She forgave you for the year I missed.”

“Did she?”

“Doctor, when you were in your regeneration coma, and I was fallin’ apart, she stayed by your side, all night. She told Elton she wouldn’t let anyone hurt us. And when I was hopping, she didn’t argue. She knew I intended to get back to you, and she did what she had to do to help me. You’re her family too, whether you like it or not.”

“I like it. You know I do.”

“She’ll come around. She’ll be a pain in the ass until she comes around, but she’ll get there.” She kissed the Doctor soundly and rested her forehead against his. “You’re not a menace. That sonic, that’s the menace. It just doesn’t work the same way it did in the prime universe.”

“I’ve thought of that. I don’t have the tech to adjust it.”

Rose grinned . “Well, Dad probably does.” When the Doctor started to protest she added, “He’ll help you with anything you want, I know it. The frustrated inventor in him is dying to see how that sonic tech works.”

“But….Torchwood.”

“Dad has changed it and it’s not the same place that separated us. I wouldn’t work there if it was, and you know it. You don’t have to work there….but Dad would love having you. And he’d let you scrounge around.” She kissed his nose. “Be right back. Just think about it.” She left the bed then, and he watched her go, too appreciative of so much of her skin on display to think of much at all.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand, startling him. He picked it up to see a text from Pete.

_If you have some time tomorrow I’d like to meet with you. 10:30 at Vitex?_

The Doctor sighed. The meeting was too early for an awkward lunch with Pete and Jackie. He rubbed the back of his neck. The pull to scrounge through the tech was strong. Eventually he’d need more than a tank to grow the TARDIS.

He typed back, _I’ll be there._

*****

At half ten on the dot, the Doctor was waiting outside Pete’s office door, making small talk with his secretary, who reminded him of his former companion Tegan Jovanka so much that it ached a bit. Still, it was an enjoyable conversation, certainly more enjoyable than the one with Pete promised to be.

Her phone buzzed and she indicated, after a brief conversation, that the Doctor could enter Pete’s office.

Pete wasn’t at his desk. He had a small table and chairs set up in a corner with some tea and biscuits on it. “Hello, Doctor. Have a biscuit?”

“I’d love one,” The Doctor agreed.

“Thanks for being able to stop by today. I know it was late notice, but I’m in a bit of a bind.. But I had something I needed to ask you.”

“Well, I’m intrigued,” the Doctor answered. He was more than just intrigued but he want to see what Pete had on his mind. He was still undecided on accepting a Torchwood job offer. He didn’t want create Vitex flavors. He was rehearsing possible answers to that question in his head. But, of course ,maybe Pete wanted restitution for the yard. The Doctor had already offered, despite not actually having a job in this universe. Time was he could withdraw a stack of cash from his UNIT salary, but that didn’t exist here. In which case, Rose would have to pay, with money she earned, working for the man who sat across the table from him.

“......Doctor? You here with me?”

“Sorry, mind wandered a bit. I reckon you didn’t just call me here for tea and biscuits, and I was trying to think of why….”

“Well, I’m getting to that,” Pete said with a smirk. “I hate Vitex publicity. All the dinners and opening we get asked to...the red carpets….all the paparazzi interfering. And the people at those things…so phony.”

“I can agree with you on that,” The Doctor said. “They always seem to be skulking about when I’m out with Rose. They’re a little too curious if you ask me.”

Pete nodded. “I suppose it’s all part of it….I didn’t ask for the attention but if it keeps people drinking the Vitex…..” He shrugged. “Well, at any rate, every year year, on the first weekend of December, there’s a tree lighting ceremony at the Royal Hope Hospital children’s wing.”

“Ah, Royal Hope. Rescued the one back in the prime universe from Judoon on the moon.”

Pete looked at him incredulously, then went on. “Whole courtyard’s got fairy lights everywhere and some organization usually announces a gift and gets the honor of turning on the lights. This year Vitex is payin’ for a large playroom for the children, and donating money to pay for hotel rooms for parents of sick children.”

“That’s lovely.”

“It was a cause particularly dear to my heart when my other Jackie was alive. I would go in and read stories to the children. Reckoned it’d be the only time I’d ever experience that, with her not wanting kids. I’ll get to the point. Rose has always refused to go. At first she and I didn’t get along at all. She hated me, until we finally worked through some of it. Then she was busy with the cannon or gone.”

“I don’t think you need me to convince her to go this year, Pete.”

Pete shook his head, “We want both of you there, and she’s more stubborn about Vitex publicity than I am. I want her, and you, there. A united family supporting the families of the sick kids.”

The Doctor laughed. “I can think of someone who doesn’t care if I make an appearance.”

“We’re a family, and I’m insisting on a unified front. Jackie will just have to be fine with it. We’re coming down to the last minute and I need to tell the hospital charity board they’ll have the Tyler family as tree lighters.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. This whole meeting felt a bit dodgy, but he recognized the situation for the opportunity that it was. “We could be there….on one condition. My sonic doesn’t work right in this universe. If I could possibly see some of your alien tech…..”

“If I get to check out the sonic screwdriver, you have a deal.” Pete extended his hand to shake on it.

The Doctor shook his hand.

******

Two hours after scrounging through alien tech, the Doctor was ensconced in his workshop working on his sonic. Rose poked her head in. “Home early! All quiet on the Torchwood front,” she said. “How was your day?”

“Odd,” the Doctor answered, peering down his nose at a stubborn bit of wiring.

“How so?”

“Your dad and I met today. He let me go through some tech, and I think I might just have the sonic sorted out. Wellll….not exactly sorted, but closer to working properly than it was when we got here. And I have some things to grow the TARDIS.”

Rose came up behind the Doctor and began to massage his neck. He put the sonic down and leaned against her. “That’s brilliant! I knew if you asked he’d help!”

“He called me in. Very curious, that. Thought I was getting either an overdue bollocking on the yard disaster or a job offer. Ended up being asked to talk you into coming to a tree lighting ceremony.”

She moved her hand into his hair, massaging his scalp and he moaned a little in pleasure. “I don’t like those publicity things, you know.”

“So he tells me. He doesn’t either. But he’d like a united front. Or so he said.”

“I never said I wouldn’t go,” She scraped her nails lightly against his scalp. He was quickly losing his concentration.

“Then why’d he ask? Not that I’m...oh, that’s lovely….complaining. I did score some tech for the TARDIS and the sonic……”

Rose didn’t answer verbally, instead she kissed his neck. She worked her way around until she was in front of him, capturing his lips in hers. Eventually, he pushed the chair back from the bench and Rose settled on his lap.

After a bit he found Rose too distracting to think about much of anything beyond the feel of her hands in his hair and her lips on his skin.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the lighting ceremony is interrupted and only the Doctor can fix it.

 

Four days later the Tyler family found itself waiting in the wings, in the hospital cafeteria.  

 

“Really Rose, he coulda saved that jumper for the ugly jumper contest at the Torchwood Christmas dinner,” Jackie groused quietly.  She was still feeling rather grouchy towards the Doctor.

 

Rose looked at the Doctor, who was brilliant in a orange and lime green jumper with accents of red and black with reindeer.  It should not have looked good on anyone.  “Well, somehow that jumper works on him.  And he likes it.  So do I. Really, you’re pickin’ on his jumper? I swear if it’s this way the whole holiday season is gonna go, we’ll just stay home Christmas Day!”

 

“Dontcha threaten me, Rose Marion.  The landscapers are still clearin’ out everything he burned with that glow stick.  And we’ve had the electrician out twice now fixin’’ his mistakes for him!”

 

“He’s offered to help,” Rose hissed.

 

“He’d just make things worse!”

 

“Then don’t complain about him not helpin’! And he’s apologized over and over. I’m done, Mum.  Just put up with him.  It’s an hour, tops.”

 

“Showtime, ladies,” Pete called, looking concerned. Rose strode away from Jackie. 

 

“What?” The Doctor asked as Rose took his hand. “Still in trouble, am I?”

 

“Just plaster on a smile and ignore anything she says.  I love your jumper, by the way.”

 

“Thank you?” he muttered.  “If you want I can just stay in here.  I think your mum would prefer it.”

 

“Don’t give a rip what Mum prefers.  We do this together or not at all.”  With that she tugged him through the door to the stage set up in the car park.

 

They smiled and waved at the crowd gathered in the evening chill, waiting for the lights to come back on.

 

“Do not let that man near the electricals,” Jackie hissed, with a smile still plastered on for the crowd.

 

“Enough, Mum!” Rose growled back.  She squeezed the Doctor’s hand reassuringly.

 

Pete was starting to regret inviting the family.  He took a deep breath and stepped up to the microphone.  “Welcome everyone!  This event is truly one of my favorite Christmas events!  You do such wonderful work here with the kids, and Vitex is proud to be a part of the team.  Now I’m turning the mic over to my beautiful wife Jackie!”

 

“Hope she doesn’t take the opportunity to let everyone know what a destructive git of a partner her daughter has,” the Doctor muttered.

 

Rose rolled her eyes.  “You’re just as bad as she is with the pity party.  Honestly, suck it up for an hour.”

 

Jackie took the stage to announce the Vitex donation.  The news made Rose choke up a bit.  She knew the Tylers were more than generous with children’s charities but it made her so proud to see her mum talk about how she wanted to make sure all the families had access to what made them happy in such a trying time.  

 

The Doctor squeezed her hand and smiled.  “I think you might be a bit proud of her too,” she whispered.

 

“Sure I am.  The Tyler women are amazing, even when they’re hacked off at me.”

 

“Well, I’m not.  I’m just ready for you two to make peace with each other,” Rose whispered in his ear.

 

Before the Doctor could remind her that the ball was in Jackie’s court for that one Pete had taken the microphone again.  “And now without further ado we’ll light this tree!  It’s gonna be gorgeous, and you can trust me on that!”

 

As Rose and the Doctor stepped up to join the family around the switch, she muttered,  “He always has to work in the catchphrase.”  

 

The Tylers and the Doctor surrounded the switch, which to the Doctor’s delight, was a big red button.

Pete held the microphone down to Tony, who proudly counted backwards just as he’d practiced.

 

“Five, four, three, two, one! Allons-y!”

 

The Doctor grinned widely. The “Allons-y” had been his idea.

 

The family pushed the button.

 

The large tree and surrounding light poles remained stubbornly dark.

 

“Let’s try that again!” Pete announced in a slightly more nervous, but still jovial, voice.  They did.

 

The fairy lights remained dark.

 

The Doctor expected it but it rankled him when Jackie hissed, “What did you do?”

 

He growled back, “Nothing!” All the while they kept their smiles plastered on.  

 

“What d’ya think’s wrong?”  Rose muttered.

 

“No clue,” the Doctor admitted.

 

“Looks like there’s some technical difficulties,” Pete announced to the crowd.  The people were beginning to rub their arms, trying to warn themselves in the cold air.  They were also looking quite disgruntled.

 

The man in charge of the technical services indicated that he should try again.  “Count us down again, Tony,” Pete suggested.

 

Tony did, complete with allons-y, and they pressed the big red button.

 

Nothing happened.  The Doctor, who quite good at lip reading realized that the tech person was cursing quite colorfully.  “I could help,” he said, loud enough for Rose and Jackie to hear.

 

“Oh hell no,” Jackie spat.

 

“The sonic works properly now.  I can fix this, Jackie.  I’m fairly sure I can, at any rate….”

 

Jackie interrupted,  “You  _ think _ ?  Well, I  _ think  _ there’s a bloody good chance you’ll burn the tree down and traumatize these sick kids forever.”

 

“Jackie, if I thought we were in any danger I wouldn’t do it,” the Doctor growled back.  

 

“Give ‘im a chance, Mum!” Rose griped back.  Neither one of them had their plastered on smiles any more.

 

The crowd nearest the stage focused their attention on the apparent dispute taking place of b front of them. . A camera flashed and Rose immediately knew that it was going in a tabloid tomorrow. “Mum, just stop it.” She tilted her head towards the crowd.

 

“He nearly burned down our damn garden and you want him to do this?” 

 

“Do it, Doctor.  If you can help, do it,” Rose urged.  “We might not be saving the world but we might be able to make a happy memory for these kids.”

 

“It’s on your head then, Rose,” Jackie huffed.

 

“C’mon, Doctor,” Rose said.  “Got your sonic?”

 

“Always, But are you….”

 

“Absolutely.  Allons-y,”. She tugged him toward the edge of the stage and they hopped down together.  The tech guy hopped it from the ground, where he’d been crawling under the light board.”

 

“Right, then, let me look this over,” the Doctor announced.  The lighting technician shrugged.  

 

“Don’t think you’re gonna get this up and running,” the tech groused.  “I don’t know what the hell’s wrong.”

 

“Just give him a chance,” Rose reassured him.  “He has...specialized knowledge.”  The Doctor ducked under the board and began poking at the wires with the sonic. 

 

“All right, Rose Tyler, these wires are dead.  Didn’t anyone check ahead of time?”

 

“They worked when we rehearsed it!” The tech whined. “Can you fix it?”

 

“Nope, this set up is not coming on any time soon,” the Doctor said cheerfully, popping the “p”.  

 

“So….?”  Rose asked.  She couldn’t understand why he was so cheerful about the imminent failure of the lighting ceremony.  “No lights tonight?”

 

“Didn’t say that,”  the Doctor pointed out.  His eyebrow was raised, and he smirked mischievously.  “Give me five minutes.  Will you let Pete know?”

 

“Okay.  You really think….” Rose began.

 

“Absolutely.”  He kissed Rose soundly and ducked back under the light board.  She climbed back onto the stage, smiling. 

 

“He says give him five minutes,” Rose told Pete.

 

“Don’t think that’s enough time to evacuate,” Jackie groused.

 

Rose sighed.  “Enough, Mum!  You give him a chance.  He was trying to impress you...and me with the lights in our yard.  He’s figured out what went wrong. If he can get this working will you just let it go?”

 

“We’ll see if he can do it,” Jackie said, crossing her arms.  

 

“Doctor can fix it,” Tony piped up.  “Daddy, you tell ‘em Doctor’s working on it! Okay?”  Tony beamed.Then he turned to his mother and demanded,  “Mummy, you stop being mad.  It’s making me sad!”

 

Jackie’s jaw dropped.

 

Pete grinned.   “Will do, son.”  

 

The Doctor missed out on Tony’s well-meaning guilt trip.  He was too busy discovering the cause of the power outage.  As he scanned the wires under the light board he detected some motion under the stage.  He crouched down and moved carefully into the space, using his sonic as a torch.  He could hear a rustling sound.  Rose hopped down from the stage and noticed him crawling under.  Just as she was about to speak he put his finger to his lips and shook his head.  She crawled in next to him.  “Pixachronoids.  I guess this universe has the planet Pixichronalia?” He whispered.  “My guess is that we have a few.  Or a whole hive of them.  Who knows.  They’re about fifteen inches tall…”

 

“And look like purple Cornish pixies,” Rose finished.  “They took out a series of transformers in Cardiff about eight months ago.  Torchwood Three rounded ‘em up and supposedly sent them back.”

 

“So, what do you suggest we do now?  They crave electrical energy and apparently this is a big buffet to them.”  

 

Rose took out her phone.  “We’ve got agents all around the perimeter, so we’re not without backup.”

 

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.  “Were you expecting an invasion?”

 

“When aren’t we?” Rose asked, with an eye roll.

 

“Okay.  Since I was able to adjust the sonic, this should work.  If it doesn’t….well….never mind, it has to work.  The hospital should have a backup generator, right?”

 

Rose’s eyebrows raised. She said a little silent prayer that it would work.  The Doctor indicated that Rose should radio the agents.

 

Once the agents formed a perimeter, with Jake Simmonds in the lead,  the Doctor crawled under the sonic.  Rose followed.  “I’ve adjusted the sonic to emit a frequency that will draw our little Cornish pixies out.  How are the agents rounding them up?”

 

“We have a transmat.  We’ll send them off once you get them out,” Rose said, indicating behind her.

 

The Doctor's eyebrow raised.  “You have a transmat programmed to send them to Pixichronalia?  Rose, how….”

 

“Time’s a-wastin’, Doctor,” Rose reminded him.  He thought he could see a ghost of a smirk on her face, but then she gave his shoulder a  little shove.  “There’s a four year old up there waiting for his favorite superhero to save the day.”

 

He chuckled, “I think that’s probably you.”  He turned away to adjust the settings on the sonic.  The blue light grew Brilliant, almost painfully bright, and for a split second both Rose and the Doctor worried that the day would end in disaster.  Feedback from the speakers whined suddenly, startling everyone.  The Doctor and Rose watched as the Pixachronoids advanced upon them.   They were tiny and iridescent purple, but ferocious.  They began to rapidly crawl backwards toward the portable transmat that Jake had already set up.

 

Up on the stage Jackie took Tony’s hand, ready to run. Pete began to wonder if he’s made a terrible error in judgement.  

 

The feedback reached a crescendo then abruptly shut off, and the crowd was treated to the sight of a brilliant white beam of light with hundreds of purple speckles rising to the sky.  They began to cheer.  Tony punched the air, whooping and hollering.  Jackie stared upward, her jaw agape.

 

The Doctor and Rose hopped onto the stage a moment later.  To Pete, the Doctor called, “I believe you’ll find that our lights work.”  He shot Jackie a cheeky wink and Rose burst out laughing.

 

Pete beamed.  “Tyler family, let’s light it up,” he announced over the PA system.  Jackie, Rose and Tony stepped forward.  The Doctor hesitated.

 

Jackie extended her hand to him.  “C’mon, you plum.  He wants the  _ whole  _ family.”

 

Together, the Doctor, and his family, pressed the big red button.  The lights came on, illuminating the courtyard and the giant Christmas tree in multicolored twinkles.  Rose tugged on the Doctor’s coat, pointing up at the large courtyard window.  The kids inside were cheering, and the smiles on their faces brought a bit of wetness to the Doctor’s eyes.  Rose laughed, because she was crying a bit as well, and she kissed him.

 

“Enough!  You’re givin’’ the red tops their next front page!” Jackie hissed when the kiss went on a little too long for her comfort.  

 

“In the old days I could use the TARDIS for a bit of basic atmospheric excitation and make it snow,” the Doctor murmured in Rose’s ear.

 

“You can do that when our baby TARDIS grows,” Rose whispered back.  “This is fantastic just the way it is.”

 

“Doctor,” Jackie said, directly behind him.  He startled slightly, mentally cursing the dulling of his time lord senses.  “Thank you.  You saved the day.”  Her smile was sincere, and for the first time in a couple of weeks he could see the warmth  in her eyes.  He realized how much he’d missed it.  Rose had been right.  Somewhere along the line, Rose’s mum had started thinking of him as her own.   

 

“You’re welcome,” he answered, and in two simple words, the gap between the two of them had been bridged.  “Am I forgiven?”

 

“I’m still properly hacked off.  But you didn’t mean any harm.  You’re still not allowed to  _ enhance  _ any more of my appliances.  And keep your paws off the wiring.”

 

“Duly noted,” the Doctor agreed. 

 

“You’re forgiven.  Forgive me for being ridiculous?”

 

The Doctor thought that there would likely be another time when he would be a menace and she would be ridiculous,  but for this time, all was well., “Forgiven.”

 

There was a brief pause, in  which Rose beamed at both of them and the Doctor and Jackie were awkwardly silent.  Then Jackie stepped forward, smiling, arms outstretched.  The Doctor was attack-hugged by his future mother in-law, and sloppily kissed on the cheek as well.  He flailed a bit, then hugged her back.  He was startled when his legs were attack-hugged by Tony.

 

“I’m so glad we’re all not mad at each other anymore!” Tony yelled.

 

“God bless us every one,” Pete said, winking cheekily at Rose.  Rose struggled to hold in her laughter.  In the end, she couldn’t.

 

The party was a complete success.  The red tops were more concerned with the spectacle provided by the Vitex technical crew than the public display of affection from the Doctor and Rose.    Although it almost didn’t work, (the tabloids didn’t hesitate to point out,)  the light beam with the purple fairy effect was the hit of the tree lighting ceremony.

  
  


*****

The family felt lazy on Christmas night, after all the present opening and playing.  Jackie had purchased all of them matching Christmas onesies and in the spirit of family, they all put them on.  Including the Doctor.  After Tony fell asleep on Pete and he took the boy upstairs, Jackie decided to try out the fancy new pastry maker the Doctor and Rose had gotten her. “Gonna figure out how to make some breakfast for tomorrow so Rose and I can get out the door faster for the Boxing Day sales!”

 

Rose and the Doctor were lounging on the sofa, her legs in his lap.  Rose was warm and cozy and forcing her eyes to stay open for the end of  _ Elf _ , when the Doctor moved her legs and scooted closer to her.  His mouth was close to her ear as he murmured, “So, Rose Tyler, are you ready to ‘fess up? There’s only a few more hours left in Christmas.”

 

“‘Fess up what?” Rose yawned.

 

“The tree lighting ceremony,” he drawled.  She jerked as if she’d been poked.

 

“What about it?” She was wide awake now.

 

“It occurred to me….pretty much right away….how lucky we were.  Pixachronoids can get a bit nasty.  They tried to cause a blackout in Cardiff because they were hungry.  They could’ve feasted in London.   Yet they marched their little purple arses out to the transmat back home.”  Rose’s eyes widened.  “And the agents?  It was Vitex thing, not a Torchwood thing. How did they know to be there, with a bloody transmat?   It was almost as if…..”. 

 

He leaned in closely, and Rose could feel his breath on her ear.  It made her shiver, and she hoped he’d reward her cleverness later, in their bed, instead of being insulted.

 

“.....you and Pete were conspiring.”

 

Rose couldn’t resist laughing.  “You and Mum were being right miseries. And Tony was so sad!  Two of his favorite people weren’t getting along.  So….we had some Pixachronoid ambassadors smoothin’ things over from the Cardiff thing….and me dad’s a bit of schemer, you know.”

 

“Oh, I know.  What did you give the Pixie People in exchange?” 

 

“A literal ton of big torch batteries.  And a small solar powered generator.  The generator is going to an orphanage.  They’ll have a renewable source of electricity for ages.”

 

The Doctor rested his head against the back of the couch, laughing. “Leave it to you and Pete to figure out a way to help them out in the process.  But were we that bad?”

 

“Worse.”

 

“Well, we’ve come to an understanding now,” the Doctor pointed out.  “I will no longer enhance her existing appliances.”

 

Rose sat up, alarmed.  “Her  _ existing  _ appliances.  Like the ones existing before Christmas?  What about that pastry maker we…..”

 

As if on cue, the smoke detector in the kitchen went off and Jackie howled.  “It’s got a built in fire suppression system,” the Doctor pointed out as they both jumped up and ran for the kitchen.

 

“Well, she doesn’t know that, Doctor….” Rose groaned.

 

“Okay.  Fine, in the interest of family harmony,  no more appliances.  Full stop.”

 

They dashed into the kitchen to see that the fire suppression system had indeed worked, but flour coated just about every surface.  And Jackie, as well.  Fortunately, this was forgiven, since the Doctor offered to do all the cleanup, and fix the pastry maker, while Jackie soaked in the tub.  

 

And at least for a while, peace reigned in the Tyler household.

 


End file.
